Awra Amba RJ 300612 EN - Contacter un comité local d'Attac

6. External relations
Picture 18: Zumra teaching Ethiopian visitors (April 2010).
Today the village is credited with being "an extraordinary initiative within a traditional and
conservative society", "with triggering amazing change in the Amhara region", and as being "a good
example for other Ethiopian communities – and even beyond Ethiopia – because of its gender
equality, its work ethic, and its social security system" (Halpern, 2007).
Thus the Amhara Regional Office of Women's Affairs brings Awra Amba members to other
communities of the region in support of its plan for gender equality. "To ask inhabitants of Awra
Amba to talk about their lives has proved to be far more efficient than awareness-raising campaigns
of the office aiming at changing attitudes of other communities in terms of share of work between
sexes", said Zelalem, public relations office manager (IPS, 2010).
Moreover, relations are far to be excellent with all authorities. Thus, some development experts at
local or regional level do not understand why inhabitants of Awra Amba refuse to participate in
certain programmes – whose some rules conflict with their values, and regard this refusal on a totally
wrong manner (At05/56). Awra Amba runs therefore counter not only to values and behaviours of
neighbouring peasant communities, but also to some ‘modern’ rules of Ethiopian authorities. The
lack of religion and the criticism of religions, which practises Awra Amba, seem also difficult to
accept in Ethiopia. Thus Yirga (2007/91) thinks "the ways they treat religion and religious related
issues [is] unpleasant".
The community has long hoped to found brother communities elsewhere, but this has been possible
apparently only recently. Prominent representatives of Awi – a greater rural community in northwest
Ethiopia – visited Awra Amba in 2007 and since should have created a replica of this ideal society.
Awi community seems to be located in the administrative zone of Agew Awi if the Amhara region,
about a hundred kilometres southwest of Bahar Dar (see Figure 6 page 27). On their own initiative,
Awi inhabitants respect the same values, including work, and are now reaping the benefits (IPS,
2010). But this news important for Awra Amba is not yet confirmed (Question 39 in Annex).
Community members try to promote their values and their experiences, but seem not very receptive
to others, although Zumra affirms his community is open to positive external experiences but ignores
the negative ones: they do not try to share experiences of their numerous visitors (Yi07/69-70) and
children are reluctant in learning other cultures (Yi07/92). A parallel may be drawn between this
behaviour and their lack of interest for literature and social and human sciences (see section 5.1).
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